Everything is Written in the Sky!

Abstract

"Saurashtra, located in the western part of Gujarat state is predominantly a dryland and drought prone region. The occurrence of agricultural drought has become a regular feature of the region since the seventies. The monsoon season, which extends from June to September, is characterized by irregular, erratic and uneven showers. The farmers of this region give a lot of importance to accurate prediction of the onset of monsoon since cropping pattern decisions are made on the basis of these predictions. Early showers would allow a farmer to go in for long duration crops such as groundnut (spreading type) and cotton. On the other hand delayed monsoon could mean restricting the choice of crops to pulses, pearl millet, castor and bunch type of groundnut."